What is competition?
In April 2017, the Concrete Canoe Project
Team travels to the Upstate NY Regional
Conference to compete against numerous
schools.
The competition scores each team in four
different categories: oral presentation,
overall project appearance, technical report
and (the most exciting) race results. As a
committed team member, you will have the
opportunity to participate in the event by
cheering on your teammates or even
paddling the canoe!
The Steel Bridge Team will be competing
during the same weekend at the
conference, so team members will be able
to show their Big Red spirit for both teams!
Last year, the Cornell Concrete Canoe
Team scored third place during the
Regional Conference.
Team Requirements
1. Each
team
member
must
contribute an average of at least 3
hours per week to the project team.
2. All team members must participate
in CAST DAY – the most
important day of the year. On Cast
Day, we hand cast concrete onto
our chosen mold, effectively
shaping and making our canoe in
mere hours.
3. At the end of each semester, team
members will be required to write
a short summary report detailing
what they have learned and they
have worked on.
Interested in joining?
Fill out an application from our
website!
concretecanoe.engineering.cornell.edu
Applications due 9/7
Questions?
Email our leaders:
Carolyn: [email protected]
Daniella: [email protected]
Team Email: [email protected]
Or visit our website:
concretecanoe.engineering.cornell.edu
Getting your hands dirty!
Together as a team, we spend the year
designing and building a fully functioning
concrete canoe to present, display and race
at an annual competition each spring.
The entire project from logistics to design,
from fabrication to racing, is the
responsibility of all student team members.
Which subteam is right for you?
Cornell Concrete Canoe Project Team has
six different subteams!
• Aesthetics Team
• Analysis Team
• Logistics Team
• Mix Design Team
• Mold Design Team
• Paddling Team
Aesthetics Team
Logistics Team
Subteam Leader : Katie O’Neill
[email protected]
Subteam Leader: Michael Rothstein
[email protected]
Do you have artistic flare? Do you enjoy
creating designs? This subteam works on the
appearance and overall presentation of the
canoe. It leads the finishing of canoe
construction through pigmenting concrete,
sanding the boat and sealing the exterior to
create a beautiful final product. In addition
to working on the canoe, the Aesthetics team
brings the theme to life by designing the
display board, stands, and presentation
aspects of the project for competition.
This subteam focuses on project scheduling,
budget management, and competition
logistics behind the scenes to keep us
organized throughout the year. By
coordinating subteams and working through
budget constraints, they ensure that we
accomplish our tasks as efficiently as
possible.
Mix Design
Mold Design Team
Subteam Leaders: Amina Rahill-Marier
[email protected]
Catie Johnson
[email protected]
The Mold Team is responsible for the
construction of the apparatus that gives the
canoe its shape. The subteam frequently
practices hands-on practice casting concrete
onto the mold. On Cast Day, the most
important day of the year, the mold team is in
charge. This subteam requires ingenuity and
an ability to see beyond the standard uses of
materials.
Subteam Leaders: Autumn Watt
[email protected]
Amy Penick
[email protected]
This lab-based subteam is the perfect
opportunity to get your hands dirty. We
design the composition, mix each batch, and
test lightweight concrete that will be used for
our canoe. You can learn about the chemistry
behind this fascinating material as well as
learn to manipulate aggregates to make this
normally heavy material float in water!
Analysis Team
Subteam Leader: James Cramer
[email protected]
This subteam analyzes the static and dynamic
behavior of our canoe. We utilize various
programs, write our own code, and create a
3D rendering of the canoe in order to
determine the best structural shape and the
concrete properties necessary for the final
product.
Paddling Team
Subteam Leader: Amina Rahill-Marier
[email protected]
Racing is a huge component of the
competition. There are a variety of races
composed of all male, all female, and coed races that vary in distance. It’s a great
way to get out and enjoy Cayuga Lake.
Join the paddling team – trained by a
former Olympic kayaker – for a fun
opportunity to race in a unique canoe!